The Firelights of Summer
by Dark Mage Zeref
Summary: (The name is a play on Natsu's name, which means summer.) The son of Igneel, Natsu, dreams of freedom after a lifetime of imprisonment for dragons. He comes up with a brilliant escape plan which inadvertently includes kidnapping Princess Lucy and running from royal guard soldier Gray. On the way, the dragon learns that freedom (and love) don't come free the hard way.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note - This story alternates between Natsu's POV and Lucy's POV.**

* * *

Dragons.

Fierce warriors of legend; beasts with scales like rolling plains of grass or red as flames from the earth, maw spewing flames or metal or hurricane-esque wings. They were creatures of magnificence and beauty and something to behold in every way.

_Were._

There was a reason why people lost their belief. After the war between humans, dragons and Dragon Slayers the remainder of dragons were sealed away. Permanently incarcerated in places across Fiore to never see the light of day again, just to maintain the stability of the world. What a load.

Natsu carved an X into the stone. Moss crept up the walls from the poor maintenance and the cell reeked of many different things. The worn out old cot was shredded and his demeaning food bowl was smashed into a beaten up piece of metal. Heh. As if doing that could vent his anger. His eighteenth birthday just disappeared and the most he had to celebrate was eighteen-hundred years of captivity. He hadn't seen the Sun, or the Moon, or clouds or blue sky or the oceans or...anything, really. And who to blame?

The damned King and his daughter.

"Time again, Lizardbreath." Natsu smelled him coming before he saw him. His boots pounded on the ground as he approached the front of his face. Natsu sunk back against the walls, grimacing and smiling at the same time.

"My favorite guard," he said. "Come on, let me show you my lizard breath."

Gray scowled and threw a wad of raw meat through the bars. Natsu raised his eyebrows. "Man, what'd I do to deserve this manna?"

"You know, you have a bad attitude."

"One point eight."

Gray raised his eyebrows. "What?"

Natsu rapped his knuckles on the wall. Mixed in with the series of random tallies were eighteen thick scratches in the stone. "Eighteen hundred years. That's how many years ago the War ended. And, as well as my father who had long ago died and had been thrown in the garbage, every dragon, good or otherwise, was trapped here. Tell me if I should be so happy about that, Fullbuster."

"It was your guys damn fault anyway," Gray argued flatly.

"Yes, but did you care who didn't do anything? No, instead you hypocritical humans pinned the blame on every mortal soul out there."

Gray grabbed Natsu's torn cotton shirt through the bars. The air chilled several degrees. "If I were you, I'd watch your words. You're skimming on a death sentence here, Dragneel."

"Sorry," Natsu hissed through his teeth. Not, he thought bitterly. Gray pulled back and stared at the other cages.

"I'll pass." Natsu couldn't see Gajeel in the darkness, only his reptilian crimson eyes. The sound of crunching metal resonated through the cell. "The bowl is demeaning, so I put it out of it's misery."

Gray scowled into the shadows and left in a rush. Natsu inhaled Igneel's scarf. "Damn it, I hate that guy," he mumbled.

"I hate everything," Gajeel said, surly. "Damn, if Metalicana was still here..."

"Well he's not!" Natsu snapped, bitterness taking hold. "He and the rest of the dragons were deemed villains and died immediately. And we, their kids, are stuck as POW's for the rest of eternity." He sunk back against the wall, his breathing ragged and uneven. "Or at least until they think we're too bad to keep as martyrs."

"Natsu-san, please calm down," Wendy said, looking at him through the bars. Natsu inhaled deeply and nodded. She was the youngest out of all of them and also the most frail. She didn't - or rather couldn't - eat meat like the others, and instead fed on the air, which grew thinner and more rancid every day. Her indigo locks hung limply against her bony shoulders and the shackles left permanent red marks on her wrists.

"Sorry," he apologized halfheartedly. He kicked the bones from the floor of his cell.

"How do you eat that?" Gajeel asked. "It's disgusting and they just toss it at us like animals."

"Yeah, but I can't live without eating." Natsu looked around. "I'm not like you guys. Fire doesn't pop up randomly."

"All they do is skin the animals," Gajeel said. He spat a piece of metal on the cracked cement. "You'll probably get salmonella or something."

"Nah. My body burns up all germs..." Natsu's eyes widened. He fixed his eyes on the bones. "Wait. Hold on everyone. I have an idea."

The dungeon became painfully quiet. Finally, Gajeel said, "Fiore is freezing over."

"No!" Natsu shook his head. Then, "Damn you, Gajeel. I forgot."

"Idiot."

"I'm going to sleep." Natsu curled up on the bed, burying his nose in Igneel's scarf. It was calming even though the scent had long since faded. Eighteen hundred years and not even a lick of fresh air or any wisp of what could be called freedom. He had no idea of the word meant besides not staying in a cage all day and eating poorly prepared meat.

Freedom...

* * *

Natsu was a pretty deep sleeper. If an atomic war happened he'd just snort and roll over. But this time, Wendy's choked screams woke him up.

He rolled off the bed and pressed his snarling face to the bars, expecting a late-night attack. Instead she was kneeling on the ground scratching at her throat, which was crisscrossed with bluish-white scales. Gajeel grunted, annoyed to have been woken up. "Go back to sleep," he mumbled. "Just that time."

Natsu glared. Any other time, Wendy gaining that special ability would've been excellent, but with the Anti-Magic shackles she was basically dying. She kept on with those garbled screams as her tiny fingers shifted from ultra-sharp talons to human hands over and over again. Natsu's idea returned to him in a flash. He was saddened to say that this was an ideal situation.

"Wendy," Natsu said quickly, "your thirteen. You're supposed to be able to turn into a dragon but the shackles are interfering. Look, I wasn't lying when I said I had an idea. If we can pull this off then the three of us can leave, but I'm afraid you'll have to keep enduring that. Can you handle it? Come on, dragon face! We're the strongest guys ever!"

Wendy smiled faintly. "I'll do it, Natsu-san!"

"Gajeel," Natsu continued. "You have to transform as well."

Gajeel snorted in dissent.

"Think about it, Gajeel. New kinds of metals to try. Plenty of strong guys to fight."

Gajeel made a sound that sounded like an agreement.

"Make the biggest ruckus you can!" Natsu said. He forced the dormant magic to activate. He was fireproof but at that moment it felt like he was being consumed with flames. His body burned as thick red scales replaced his thin human skin. His jaw hurt from the monster teeth trying to crowd inside. He collapsed on the ground, writhing and shaking with pain. He made sure to hit the bars of the cage and his bed each time.

Today, he thought. Today is the day we get free.


	2. Chapter 2

"Lucy," the King scolded.

Lucy looked up dreamily. "Yes, Father?"

"Don't fall asleep at the dinner table."

"I'm sorry, Father," Lucy apologized, sitting up. Her plate of rice, mashed potatoes and steak was untouched, as was the rest of the grandoise array spread out on the long dark wood dining table. Her father, King Jude, sat at the other end, absently picking at his food while writing notes for the kingdom. What he said was only common courtesy; if she dunked her head in the silver goblet he would hardly look twice. His work, as always, came before his flesh and blood.

Princess of Fiore? What a joke. She was simply a figurehead, a statue of pristine beauty and elegance for the kingdom to follow. From birth, she had been taught one thing: _Image is everything._ No matter what, she was to display a demeanor of regalia. She followed suit obediently: the perfect Princess, Lucy Heartfilia, who is as luminous as the stars that the kingdom was built under years ago. She governed the stars in the form of her Celestial keys left to her by the late Queen. Some of her company at times, however, was less than savory...

"King Jude," a servant said, stepping in. "You have a call on the Lacrima."

King Jude excused himself with a grunt to Lucy before stepping out - totally mundane. Lucy sighed to her bowl of soup. A jingle like bells sounded and she felt hands on her shoulders. "Everything okay, Lucy?"

"Exceptional, Loke," Lucy said. She found him no more than a year ago half-dead from existing in the human world too long. Now he had an almost unhealthy (and sometimes annoying) attachment to her.

"No...that's your _I'm so mad at Father_ tone of voice."

"Then have you noticed my _Please release my shoulders before I splash you_ tone of voice?"

Loke sighed and stepped back. His glasses glinted. "I'm always here, Lucy."

"Yes, yes," Lucy sighed, rising from her seat. She curtsied slightly at the servant who'd been waiting at the side of the table. "Thank you for the meal, but I've eaten enough."

"Understood, Miss Lucy," he said, rushing to clear the table.

Lucy left, walking down the hall. Columns rose periodically to the mosaic of Celestial Spirits on the ceiling. Lucy stared up at it, wistful for her late mother. She passed by the grand wooden double doors of the King's bedchamber and paused. The King hadn't closed the doors fully; one of them was open a crack. Voices floated up through the space. Lucy pressed herself against the wall. Princesses were supposed to be the queens of propaganda, after all. That's what King Jude taught her - why reprimand her for it?

"...looking pretty bad," the head of the royal guard said. Gray Fullbuster. Lucy had an alright relationship with him; the only reason she preferred not to hang out with him was his unruly habit of losing his clothes.

"How so?" the King inquired.

Feet shuffled. "They're reeling in pain. Their skin is bubbling like it'll blow up and their fingers are bend in odd ways. Never seen it before."

Why would he have? The kingdom captured the dragons, yes, but they neglected to investigate them. They didn't know anything beyond their strange magic of shifting between a human form and the monstrous dragon form that Fiore fears. "Ah," the King said. "That's very unsettling."

"What do we do, sir?" Gray asked. "I mean, if those guys die, then..."

"I do not need to be reminded. Do you have any ideas, Fullbuster?"

Gray sounded anxious. "That dragon...the one with the pink hair...he proposed something to me."

"...Which is?"

"_This is what happens to dragons when they're captured too long,_ he said. _They get...a certain sickness. We will die if you don't do something._"

"He's bluffing," the King scowled.

"How would we know? Sir, if you went down to look at them...if they're playing a trick, then they're going pretty far. That's real pain they're in."

The King pondered this. "Get a sample for our scientists. Maybe they could make a cure."

"I don't think so," Gray said. "They're halfway between skin and scales, and dragon scales are impossible to shatter."

"Then what other option are we left with? Fullbuster, if those dragons die, then _they_ are coming after us. I hate to admit it, but our forces aren't a match for pure Dragon Force." [Oh no, _they_ in italics. Never a good sign!]

"He wants to talk to you," Gray said. "That dragon."

"..." Lucy could imagine her Father's stricken expression. He had two options involving the ones he hated and feared: let them die, or put the kingdom's fate in their hands. "Shackle him. Get the best guards too."

"Yes, sir."

Lucy pulled away and took off down the hall. She turned the corner just as Gray came out of the room. She stopped to catch her breath and saw him walking towards her. "Princess Lucy?" he said. "What are you..."

"Oh, nothing," Lucy said innocently, smiling. When he passed by she stuck her tongue out at his back. Princess, no. Cocky Mage, yes.

* * *

Lucy had never been allowed down in the dungeons for some inane reason she'd never pondered, so she had never seen any of the dragons. She sat at the flank of the King's throne, perched at the northern end of the grand room. The guards stationed at the double doors turned to open them. Lucy sucked in a breath.

Any book she'd ever read told her that dragons were great beasts with waves of glimmering scales, great maws of teeth strong enough to crush a building and wings big enough to cause tornadoes. First, Gray Fullbuster walked in. He was decked out in his soldier's uniform - thankfully - with two chain links wrapped around his wrists. Three more guards followed behind them, pressed together too tightly for Lucy to see whoever - or whatever - they were covering. They walked the full, agonizing length of polished creme marble to the throne. Gray and the other guards dropped on one knee.

"At ease," King Jude said. Then his eyes went up to the dragon...

...which Lucy did _not_ recognize at all.

They most likely cleaned him up for his audience with the King, however, his pink hair jutted out in every direction. He was wearing a gold-trimmed black vest and white canvas pants. His hands were bound behind his back with Anti-Magic shackles. The chains wound around his neck and dragged on the floor to Gray's hand. His eyes were so black they didn't reflect any light nor did they betray any of his emotions. Facing the King, he had to be wound like a cobra, but he was still and calm as a pond. "King Jude," he said flatly.

"You seem well," the King said suspicious. He smiled slightly.

"Call it a relapse," he said. He flexed his neck. Under his scarf the skin was turning rash-red. "But you can go down and see Redfox and Wendy are still in pain, if you'd like."

"And what makes you different than those two?"

"Well, let's see..." He nodded his head from side to side, smiling playfully. "I'm much stronger than that Metalhead. [Yeah Natsu, everybody's stronger than a piece of scrap metal made by a lovesick turtle.] And I'm the oldest out of all of them, thank you."

"You are testing my patience, Dragneel," the King said, irritation seeping into his voice. Lucy looked from her father to the dragon. The guards were shifting on their feet but he kept staring passively.

"It's not Dragneel," he corrected. "You do not have the right to call me by that name." A bit of fire trickled from his lips. At that, Gray pulled the chains, yanking Natsu to the ground. He landed hard on his knees. The Anti-Magic shackles glowed red hot. "Like I was saying..." He raised his head. His eyes flared slightly. "Those guys are weaker than me. Hey, they might die before night falls."

Lucy had to admire that guy. In the face of the one to determine his life or death, he was cool and collected - cracking jokes even. She could never have done that. She folded her hands in her lap, crossing her fingers for his safety.

"Yes," the King said. "That is why you were temporarily released. To enlighten us on the cure."

"Ah, yes," he continued, distracted. "The opportunity to, after eighteen hundred years, stretch my legs." The irony was that his ankles were tangled with chains as well.

"Eighteen hundred years?" Lucy exclaimed, her head whipping around to face King Jude.

"Lucy, be silent."

"Father that's ridiculous!" she said. "Keeping a person locked up for eighteen hundred years..."

"Yes, but this isn't a _person_," Gray corrected coolly. "This is a monster."

The dragon's jaw tightened. His arms started shaking.

"Lucy, don't speak when you don't know the circumstances," the King said sharply, turning to her with fierce eyes. Lucy shrunk back, placated.

"Hey," the dragon said, finally annoyed. "Don't talk to her like that."

"Dragneel, that's not your problem," Gray said.

"It's Natsu. Not Dragneel. It's Na-tsu."

"My daughter needs to learn her place," King Jude said firmly. "And so do you. Guards, take him back to his cell."

Gray smirked as he pulled Natsu to his feet. The guards started dragging him backwards. Natsu looked at Lucy, his eyes pleading. "Father, no," Lucy said, rising from her seat.

"Look!" Natsu said quickly. "There's a cure...it's a plant!" When they reached the doors Natsu clanked his ankles together, slackening the chains, and yanked them apart. The links snapped instantly. He pulled away from the guards' grips, running forward. His eyes were feral. "Look, there's a plant. It's a plant up in Shirotsume. It'll cure Wendy and Red-graah!" Gray had grabbed his arms, twisting them behind his back.

"Ice Make-"

"_Guuah!_" Natsu roared. The shackles cracked like glass. His body erupted in flames. Gray pulled back; his sleeves were smoldering. Natsu shook, his skin crackling with the flames. Red scales covered his body and his scleras turned gold. "Guah!" His skin started bubbling like water. The scales cracked and fell to the ground. Sweat ran down his face, evaporated, and started pouring down. Lucy covered her mouth. He was in real pain. The King was speechless as well.

Natsu dropped on his knees as the flames died out. Then he fell on his face and went completely still.


	3. Chapter 3

Natsu expected not to wake up. After his outburst and his explosion of magic the King would've either had him executed on the spot or cut up and examined. They kept the dragons as insurance only; if they knew how to fight and beat a dragon then they wouldn't need Gajeel and Wendy and Natsu. So yeah, he didn't think he would wake up. It totally shocked him when he opened his eyes and he was still lying in the throne room.

Natsu looked around. The King and Gray were in a heated discussion. He was lying on his back and something green and pasty was being rubbed on his raw skin. It looked nasty and smelled like something he'd leave in his cell but it was working. He looked up. Lucy was the one spreading it on him. "Careful," he said hoarsely. "I might bite, you know."

"I'm not afraid of you," she said firmly.

"Oh, so you're the brave little princess."

"No, but you should try looking to your right."

Natsu looked to the right and blanched. There was another guy - tall and dressed in a suit, his brown hair messier than his. Behind his azure glasses were predator eyes. "I'm Lucy's protection," he said. "If you look at her too hard then you'll find yourself missing your tail, Salamander."

"Understood, Mr. Lion," Natsu grinned.

He glowered in response.

"Loke, don't be mean," Lucy said.

Loke was indignant. "Lucy, are you forgetting that this is a-"

"-an injured person," Lucy finished. "Let me do this, Loke."

"Yeah Loke, let her do this," Natsu said. Loke seethed in his spot. Natsu swept his eyes over to the King and Gray.

"...condition is worsening," Gray was saying. Natsu smiled to himself. Wendy was keeping it up; she was as resilient as her mother. And Redfox was finally good for something.

"But why should we trust this dragon?" The King threw an unruly glance in Natsu's direction. He lifted his arm and waved back.

"You _should_ trust me," Natsu said, catching their attention. "You all kind think dragons are dumb or whatever, but I backed you in a corner." He sat up, brushing Lucy off. "If I go..._feral_, I'll say, at this moment, then eyes will track to this castle. A dragon isn't the size of a box, you know. I forget to stay human when I get mad. And then let's not forget Redfox and Wendy. When your little _friends_ hear that they're dead, those guys'll come running." Of course, Natsu had to remind the King of the Hunter Dragons - the half-breed twins who could take over the castle any time they felt like it. They didn't just because the King had the dragons, and he was protecting them sort of. If the Dragons found out that Natsu and co. were dead, the deal would be off and heads would start rolling.

Natsu shook a bit at the thought. Weisslogia and Skiadrum were pretty scary, but compared to their sons they might as well have been puppies.

"No," the King said. Even Gray looked surprised. "No."

"But, sir-"

"That is my final answer, Fullbuster," the King said, standing up. Lucy gently pulled Natsu out of the way as the King walked down the path. The guards opened the doors and he left. Natsu clenched his head, grinding his teeth together.

"Time to go, Dragneel," Gray said, pulling him to his feet. Natsu moved like a rag doll, numbed by shock. He looked at Lucy, frowning.

Natsu slowly smiled. His wrists clattered in the broken shackles. His idea could be perfected.

* * *

Nighttime.

Perfect for a fireworks show.

"Natsu," Gajeel said, watching him scratch at the wall. "Your first 'ingenious' plan didn't work. Why will this one?"

"Because I made a mistake," Natsu admitted. Biting back a scream he was able to form his dragon claws. He dug them in-between the cracks in the concrete slabs. "I didn't have that much leverage on the King besides Weisslogia and Skiadrum's brats. Okay, that's a problem, but as long as they still doubt in me then they won't go through with the plan." Natsu shot a look at Wendy. Gajeel coached her enough for her to keep a solid human form for a few moments at a time. It was a brief relief but now she had some way to ease the pain. She smiled up at Natsu, balling up her fists.

"I believe in Natsu-san," she said, "because he's so strong and brave."

"I ain't strong and brave like Igneel," Natsu sighed. "He would've busted through this place long time ago. I'm a failure as his son." The slab shifted with a scratching sound. Natsu dug his claws in further and pulled. The adhesive came loose and the slab fell on the ground. Two more to go.

"You ain't weak, that's for sure," Gajeel said. "You damaged those high-grade shackles.

Natsu stared at his wrists as he worked. His arms were covered in red scales from the relief. "Whatever."_ Thump!_ The second slab came loose. One more...

"Fullbuster is coming!" Gajeel said, hitting the bars. "Natsu, move faster!"

"I'm trying!" Natsu replied. The last one was heavier than the others. He couldn't move it as he was. He started slamming his shackles against the slabs, cracking both of them. One, two, one two... His arms grew heavy from the effort. His head burned and sweat poured down his face. The shackles turned red-hot again. Natsu channeled that heat to his fists, punching at the concrete.

"Fire-Dragon-Iron-Fist-Fist-Fist-Fist-" He kept throwing punches but the concrete was very resilient. It cracked slightly at his fifth attack. Natsu sighed and slumped against the wall. He momentarily blacked out from fatigue.

"-Aah!" Wendy screamed. She lost it again.

"Wendy," Natsu spun around. He wasn't expecting a blue-haired stranger to have her by the neck. "Who are you?" Natsu shouted, gripping the bars. "What are you doing to Wendy?"

"Starting a war," the stranger answered simply, turning slightly. He had a series of red markings under his left eye and a plethora of magic staffs tied to back. Natsu turned to Gajeel but he was slumped against the bed, unconscious.

"What did you do to Gajeel?" Natsu demanded.

"Something he most likely won't live through," he replied coolly. Wendy's struggles turned feeble.

"Na...tsu..." she gasped.

"If you want to hurt someone, hurt me! Or pull your punches and take your best shot. I'll knock the daylights outta you!"

He used his free hand to pull out a magic staff. He aimed it at Natsu. "Her I need...but you're nothing more than an error."

Light filled the dungeon. Natsu was slammed against the wall, the incandescent heat burning his skin. He howled in pain as the blue-haired offender completely cut off Wendy's oxygen. She fell limp and he turned towards the stairwell. Natsu dragged himself to his feet, anger and pain filling inside him and broiling to a dangerous point of extreme Flames of Emotion. His eyes turned bright gold as the flames built up in his hands.

"Fire Dragon Secret Arts: Exploding Flame Blade!"

The dungeon erupted in red-hot flames. The stranger ran up the stairs casting a spell as he went. The flames deflected off him harmlessly. Natsu chased after, the shackles disintegrating into dust. He flexed his fingers. The stranger ran down the marble halls, twisting and turning every which way to confuse him. If Natsu didn't have a great sense of smell he would've lost him long time ago. "You're awfully persistent," the stranger noted, stopping just outside of a random door. The paint was white and the frame was gilded gold with several Celestial Spirit's likenesses.

"Who the hell are you and why do you want Wendy?"

"I don't want her," he said. "An...acquaintance of mines does. And if you really must know, dragon, my name is Mystogun."

"Who's that acquaintance?" Natsu demanded. Mystogun tilted his head.

"Looks like we have some company," he noted. Natsu listened closely; there were a lot of footsteps coming from down the hall. Soon they'd be surrounded. Mystogun pulled open the door and ran inside.

"Get back here!" Natsu yelled, storming inside. The room was dark even for his dragon vision. He ran around and found a set of curtains. He drew them back and moonlight flooded the room. Guards filled up the doorway, guns and magic aimed at him.

"Freeze, Dragneel!" Gray said, his Ice Make: Lance prepared for action. He was very ready to kill Natsu in his spot.

One thing left to do, Natsu thought. He grabbed the nearest body, shouted, "Don't shoot!" and jumped out of the window. Glass shards, magic and bullets flew around him as he fell. He held the body closer, noting the smooth figure. He did a double-take.

He just kidnapped Princess Lucy.


	4. Chapter 4

Lucy had a strange dream. She dreamed that she was flying on the back of glowing velvety silk, the cool night air surrounding her. When she woke up she realized where the dream came from.

Lucy opened her eyes and saw a wide expanse of red. She thought it was ground at first, but a touch revealed that it was warm, pulsing with life. Cracks broke them apart periodically to form a diamond pattern of glittering crimson. On either side of the mass of red were huge torn wings which were, at that moment, flapping lazily, giving the breeze that she was feeling around her. The red led up to a long neck of slightly darker coloring and a bulky head, which she could only see the back of...from the back of the monster.

"Hieek!" Lucy screamed. She slipped and started sliding down the side, searching with her hands for some purchase on the creature's side. Its scales - she realized - were as hard and durable as rock, repelling her feeble human fingers. She looked down at Magnolia rapidly moving below. If she fell from that height...

Lucy was free-falling for a brief, terrifying moment, nothing preventing her from hitting the ground at thousands of miles per hour, turning her into the first princess pancake. Then something was smothering her like a blanket, choking off her air but also holding her up and keeping her from falling. The grip loosened and Lucy poked her head out, gasping. She realized that it was a huge hand wrapped around her, onyx claws as big as a car. Whatever it was was holding her carefully but she could feel the air being forced out of her lungs. She grabbed at the scaly fingers, struggling to pull them away even though it'd lead to her demise.

A deep, throaty rumble filled the air. Lucy looked up, believing it was thunder - so on top of kidnapping by a beast, she gets rained on? - but the night sky was clear and devoid of anything but a few stars. The hand swept in a wide arc, bringing her face up to a large crater set in the rolling mountain of red scales. She felt a hot breeze blowing on her and realized, with a sinking feeling, that it was the creature's _nose_. Despite the disgusting situation, if its nostril alone was bigger than her body she was terrified to see the full creature. She was lifted up further to stare at a slightly darker curve of mauve.

"...I'll gut that damn Redfox..." Lucy realized that the throaty rumbles were the creature's words. It was very hard, but she could barely make out its booming voice.

"You talk?" Lucy asked stupidly.

"Of course!" the creature replied, indignant. "I've always been able, ditzy-oh!" His voice rose to an ear-splitting pitch. "Damn it, I'm so damn forgetful!"

"Eeh!" Lucy screamed, covering her ears. The mauve flinched and pulled back, revealing a larger-than-life golden eye with a single black slit down the middle.

"I'm sorry," it apologized. "I forgot how delicate human ears are...human bodies are a pain, really...but to catch you up, the castle was attacked about half an hour ago."

Lucy, still trying to make sense of the strange beast, took several moments to decipher its words. "What? No way. The castle's defenses-"

"-failed instantly in the face of Mystogun."

"Mystogun?" Lucy asked.

The beast growled, a gut sound that vibrated her bones like a tuning fork. "The damn moron who took Wendy. Redfox probably fled like a worm after having his butt handed to him, and if I see so much as a scale of his I'll-" He snarled several words that weren't English or very proper by the sound of it.

"Excuse me...but..." Lucy glanced down at the rolling ground, hoping she wasn't about to join it soon. The creature was so preoccupied it might drop her without noticing. "Who are you?"

"Aw, that's cruel." He pushed Lucy far enough away that she could see a crooked line of thick ivory teeth winding around his head. "Some bad cosmetics and you can't recognize a guy?"

"What the-" Lucy snapped to attention. There was only one guy with that strange smile and bothersome sense of humor. "...Natsu?"

"The one and only." His grin grew wider.

"Natsu!" She grasped his fingers, her eyes bugging out of her head. "You-you are-"

"Unshackled," he finished, frowning. "Yes, the kingdom is hot on my heels. It was an accident to grab you, by the way. I thought I could grab one of the guards and they wouldn't shoot..."

"Yes, but why didn't you bring me back?" Lucy said through her teeth. His teeth disappeared entirely.

"Well, first of all, I don't want to get near that place again. They have some magic-heavy cannons that'll blow my scales to dust. Secondly..." His pupil dilated to two-thirds the size of his sclera. "I could use your Celestial powers."

Lucy wanted to knock the idiot out but he was massive and kept her from dying. "_Use me?_ You wretched beast, that's why you all were locked up-"

"Excuse me," Natsu interrupted. "If I were you, I'd shut your hole because you haven't a damn idea what you're talking about. Eighteen hundred years of imprisonment? Yes, it's incredulous to you, but try living in a hole for over a thousand years, fed some unclean scraps and sitting and shitting in the same spot. Eighteen hundred years. Try living just as a peace statue while everyone thinks you don't exist. Eighteen hundred years. Try living and wishing you could just die on the spot."

"Die?" Lucy's throat was so dry she had to spit the words out.

"Yeah, you don't live so long and not think about it once or twice or...hundreds of times," Natsu said casually, like he was talking about the weather. "Then I think that there's still Redfox and Wendy and I push through the mud."

Natsu flapped his wings harder, quickening their already incredible speed. They left the main part of Magnolia and started zooming towards the forested area. "Why are we going there?" Lucy asked, tears welling from the wind blasting in her face.

"I don't want to be the guy waking up to find a dragon in his driveway," Natsu said dryly.

"Can't you...turn back?"

"It's a thing," he said tiredly. "Anyway, I'm too huge like this. If I try to land _anywhere_ in Magnolia I'll smash down everything within a few miles circumference before I even shrink three feet. Besides...I'd rather enjoy my time like this while I can. This is the first time I've ever went full dragon, what with being born into captivity and all. To be honest...this is my first time seeing the moon. The stars. The night sky. Trees. _Everything_."

His tone was so sorrowful that Lucy forgot he was a damned dragon. He sounded more human than anything. Then reality came back to her in a flash. _Don't feel bad for him, Lucy. He's kidnapping you for such selfish reasons, and he's an enemy of the kingdom, and Father!_

"I know what you're thinking," he said, "and though I seem like such a damn dragon, I'm still pretty human."

"Can you read minds too?" Lucy said sourly.

"Nope - you're just so translucent it's ridiculous."

She smashed his finger to no effect. Lucy slumped back in his grip, finally startling him. "Hey, hey Lucy, are you okay? Lucy?"

Lucy rubbed her temples with a silent moan. "I was sleeping, Natsu..."

"Sorry," he said, sounding a bit sheepish. "I'm nocturnal, so I didn't really think...whatever, just go to sleep."

"I don't want to get off guard with _you_," she said, sharp as a blade.

"Sweetheart, if you die I'm as good as gone myself," he said, flashing his smile again. "I'm a natural-born dragon, not a smidgen of human in me - the cuffs were designed to force a dragon into a human form, which takes up a lot of magical energy. Like I said, it's a thing. I have to get enough magic to transform again...kind of like that Transformation Magic. If the King and his lackeys come while I'm sleeping I'll become a dragon head on Ol' Jude's wall."

She could sense his nerves coiled like a spring in his tone. It was obvious that he was risking a lot, running from an entire kingdom by himself. Lucy was a form of assurance but if she strayed too far away then he'd be as bare as the humans he looked down on.

"I don't know how a dragon could be human at all," Lucy mumbled. His super-hearing picked that up.

"There are a lot of hybrids, half-dragons lurking around," Natsu said languidly. "I know a few...what's his face? Yeah, Cobra, and uh..."

Lucy yawned. Whatever plan she had in mind, it'd have to wait until morning.

"I'm not bad, Lucy," he said as she drifted away. "You're just like your mom. I know you can see the good in me."

Before she could ask how he knew her mom she was gone, off into strange dreams that made less sense than reality.


	5. Chapter 5

Natsu was grateful when she went to sleep. Gave him less jabber to worry about. His mind was bursting with hitches in his plan - he got out, but there were so many things to drag him back. Besides, there were the hybrids looking for him, and the last thing he wanted was to wake up and see Laxus blowing lightning in his scaly behind.

Even so, by human standards, the Princess was pretty. She was a strange combination of delicate and strong, being weak but at the same time standing up to a ferocious dragon. That earned some points for her, but he still didn't like humans. You can't just like the same people that locked you up for hundreds of years and blanked away your existence because of a girl that somewhat piqued his interest.

Natsu slowed as the forest came into better view. A clearing rose up from behind the treetops, just enough space for him to land. He stuck out his feet and they hit the ground with an earthquake-esque thud. It was a huge giveaway but he couldn't land like a feather, nor could he fly all night until he regained his magic. He stretched his wings out fully, using a bit of magic to change them to mountainous brown and grey. He folded them back slightly and covered himself with them, camouflaging the two of them. The only way to find him would be a highly-sensitive magic sensor or if you poked him too hard. He'd be safe for the night.

He set Lucy down a few feet away from his face. Her face was contorted in fear. Whatever she was dreaming about must have been pretty scary to get her riled up. He exhaled through his nose and rested his head on his arms. It'd be a long night, he knew that for sure.

* * *

The most delicious smell ever wafted through the air. Natsu sat bolt upright, his eyes wide, momentarily forgetting he was half the size of a mountain. He had to curl his neck down to see Lucy eating fried fish. _Fried fish_, damn you, when there wasn't a river for miles.

"How the hell-" He caught another smell. Cologne and desperation. His eyes traveled to her kitten Spirit friend Loke sitting on a stump and eyeing him like a tasty mouse. "Of course," Natsu sighed, crouching down to be at a relatively normal height. "No breakfast for me?"

"An ocean wouldn't feed you, dragon," Loke said, obviously disgruntled. "And anyhow, I am Lucy's servant only."

"Ah, the lapdog lion," Natsu grinned. "Well, you're stringy, but you'd be just as good-"

"Natsu," Lucy said sharply. She looked down at the small cloth with three more fish on it and slid it towards him. "Here."

"Seriously?" Natsu asked, snorting out smoke in his disbelief.

"Yes," Lucy coughed, fanning the air. "And I hope that that smoke means you have your magic back."

"What-oh-right!" Natsu exhaled plenty more smoke, fogging up the entire forest. Lucy coughed and staggered; Loke blew it away with his magic. When the smoke finally cleared Natsu was standing there, completely human, his smoldering canvas pants and scarf his only articles of clothing. "How do I look?" he grinned, spreading his arms.

"Disgusting, but that's just one man's opinion," Loke said.

"I have enough magic to turn you into nice feline cutlets," Natsu said, baring his teeth.

"And I have enough magic to reduce you to a pile of hair and a d-"

"Oh, please," Lucy interjected, putting herself between Natsu and Loke. She put her hands on Loke's chest, pushing him back. She whispered something too low and quick for Natsu to comprehend. Loke paled a bit and shook his head, arguing vehemently. Lucy continued fervently and he raised his hands in surrender. His body then dissipated in a shower of gold.

"What was that?" Natsu asked, already immersed in the fish.

"A slight favor," Lucy said. Natsu noticed that she was looking everywhere except at him.

"Am I too sexy for you to behold?" he teased, eating half a fish in one bite.

"No...I just can't comprehend how a hulking mountain of a monster can become something so infinitesimal and..." She ground her palm into her temple, at a loss for the right word.

"Sexy?" Natsu repeated with a grin.

"No..." she dropped her hand with a slight frown. "A dragon's not a hulking beast. It's regal and majestic and...you're that but more human and...well...normal."

Natsu stared, bemused and shocked into silence.

Loke returned with another flash, a wad of clothes in his hand. He glared as he threw them at Natsu's chest, shot Lucy a baleful look and disappeared once more. Natsu stared. "Damn...are all Celestial clothes this crazy?"

"Please just put them on," Lucy said, turning her back to him. Natsu had to smile at that. He took off the canvas pants and wadded them up, puffing flames on them until they were plumes of smoke rising in to the air. He quickly changed into the Celestial clothes. [The same ones Natsu wore in the Oracion Seis arc.] He fiddled with the tassels on the jacket, looking at the back of Lucy's head. "I'm done now, you can lo and behold."

Lucy turned around and assessed him. "They fit, at least," she sighed. She turned sharply on her heel. Natsu lurched behind her and grabbed her shoulder.

"Hey, what are you doing?" he demanded, more of an edge in his voice than he intended.

"Going _back_," Lucy said. "What do you think?"

"But you gave me free clothes."

"That's more of a favor to everybody that has to look at you."

"I still need you," Natsu said sharply. He went around until he was facing her, his eyes deep as space. "So you can't leave. Don't forget, I'm a dragon." He pointed at himself. "I can do more than puff a bit of smoke, lady."

"And I'm a Celestial Mage," Lucy said just as sharply, spinning a key ring on her finger. She had ten Zodiac Keys and a few silvers, Natsu noted. He looked down and frowned at her plain white dress. He just snatched her out of bed - she wasn't even wearing shoes. Where did she keep them? Was that a damn magic trick? "I have my own tricks as well."

"Is that a challenge, Princess?"

"It is, Dragneel."

Natsu smirked - his first day of freedom and he could already flex his magic muscles. He could imagine, if only for a moment, Lucy was that damned Mystogun. He took a few steps backwards until his back was brushing a tree trunk and hunched over, his fingers curled into claws. "You're move. Ladies first."

Lucy slashed the Key at the air, sparks of light flashing like the crack of flint. "Open, Gate of the Bull! Taurus!"

Golden sparks flew from the Keys and converged into a single mass that was rushing Natsu like a wild animal. He jumped away and spun around in time to see the tree he was touching being chopped into thirds. The sparks manifested into a large, muscular bull brandishing a huge axe. "Moooove out the way for Miss Lucy!" he shouted.

"God...are all of your Spirits freaks?" Natsu inquired. Taurus swung the axe around again. Natsu jumped, landing lightly on the blade. Taurus brought it back around, his nostrils flaring, and Natsu braced his hand against the steel, spin-kicking the bull in the face. Taurus staggered backwards and backpedaled into a tree, causing it to break and fall over behind him. Natsu flipped over his head, wrapped his arms around the heavy pine's trunk and with an amazing show of strength brought it down on Taurus' head. He was KO'd instantly. "Hey, bring out that lion again!" Natsu said, cracking his fists. "I'll roast him like venison."

Lucy glared at first, then smiled, creeping Natsu out. She switched Keys. "Open, Gate of the Twins! Gemini!"

Two tiny blue dolls appeared in the air. "Lucy who is this?" the first said.

"Weird magic," the second noted.

"Doesn't matter, just kick his butt!" Lucy said, pointing at Natsu. She turned and started running towards the other side of the clearing.

"You can't stop me with little dolls!" Natsu shouted, chasing after her. Gemini flew in front of him and popped, disappearing in the ensuing cloud of smoke. He threw his arm over his face, coughing.

"Natsu...Dragneel..." Natsu swiped the smoke away and saw himself standing in front of him. No, not himself - those Spirits. They had Transformation Magic. "Eighteen hundred years old...hates Gray Fullbuster and Gajeel Redfox...likes..." Gemini raised an eyebrow, smiling. "Oh, that's comical."

"You damn imposter!" Natsu cupped his hands to his mouth, filling his lungs with air. He felt the magic well up in him, fire ready to do its job. "Fire Dragon Roar!"

A funnel of red flames came from his mouth in lieu of air. Gemini took a deep breath in turn, inhaling the flames as if they were simply air. He got a mouthful and swallowed, rubbing his stomach with a terrifying grin. "I'm no imposter," Gemini said. "I have every bit of power you do, as well as your memories."

Natsu tried to sidestep him but he followed his every move. "Okay, I see you're not lying."

Gemini frowned, losing all of Natsu's bravado. "Why do you want Lucy? She's a good person. She shouldn't be involved with this kind of stuff."

"'If you can read my mind, you should know," Natsu snorted.

"I know, but I don't understand. There are plenty of more powerful Mages. Why her?"

"Because..." Natsu faltered and jabbed a finger at the Spirit. "Damn you-this isn't your problem! I'm getting her back if I have to tear this whole forest apart!" His control started to tear at the seams. His skin scaled over, his eyes burning gold. His magic skyrocketed with his fury. He started charging Gemini bull-style. "Fire Dragon Sword Horn!"

Gemini stuck out his elbow. "Fire Dragon Flame Elbow." The flames from his elbow caught Natsu's head. Natsu almost literally bounced off, catching himself at the last minute on the balls of his feet. He ground his teeth and lit up his fist.

"Fire Dragon Iron Fist!"

Gemini grabbed his fist and twisted it around painfully, forcing Natsu on his knees. "We'll fight as long as we have to to protect Lucy," he said. "If she runs out of magic, we have our own to use to remain here. So you can continue as long as you'd like, Dragon Slayer."

"Ah..." Natsu sighed, letting the flames die out. "Damn it - you're stalling me, aren't you?"

Gemini raised his eyebrows. "How long did that take you to figure out?"

"Much too long. But not long enough for Lucy to get outta my smell range." He raised his eyes to the Spirit. "Ugh...why do you want to protect her so much? By Mage standards, she's sub-par, and certainly not the best human around. She's arrogant, loudmouthed as well as foulmouthed, far too outspoken for her diminutive size..."

"...and let me be the one to interject that you _like_ her," Gemini said.

"Hey, Spirit, there must've been a bad connection between our minds because I do _not_ like Lucy."

"I mean, I can understand that, since she's a very original human and she's really pretty..." Gemini continued.

"Shut up!" Natsu's skin jumped to 150°. "I do not like Lucy! I don't I don't I don't I don't I _don't_!

Gemini opened his mouth to say something but stopped, his eyes rising to the trees. Natsu followed his gaze and caught a bit of white darting between the trees. Gemini disappeared in a puff of golden light. Natsu turned around fully, his expression dark. "Come on Fullbuster, I see your royal butt in the brush."

Gray came into full view. His white jacket was stained with green and brown from the forestry and he looked like he was searching for a while. "You're in a whole lot of trouble, Dragneel," he said, "and not just from me. The King, the Royal Guard...everybody. All three dragons have disappeared at once, and you're the prime suspect in the matter."

"_Me?_" Natsu exclaimed, indignation coloring his tone. He stabbed a finger in Gray's direction. "You guys were the ones who locked us up, so I don't see the damn point-well, whatever! Look, _I_ wasn't the one who escaped! It was this guy...Mystogun! He had a...uh..." Natsu blinked. His memories of Mystogun were as fuzzy as a smudged painting. It tasted like Memory Magic.

"He had a _what_?"

"He put memory magic on me!" Natsu waved his hands in the air.

"Ain't that convenient," Gray snorted.

"I'm not looking for your word of trust either, Fullbuster. I have prey to look after." Natsu started to run towards Lucy's scent but a hand clamped around his neck, forcing his head into the ground. He sputtered mud and rocks in disbelief; he'd never seen Gray run, but there was _no way_ that he could cross the clearing that fast and stealthy.

"But I won't give you to the King, not just yet," Gray spat vehemently. "I have a personal bone to pick with you, Dragneel."

"Is that so?" Natsu asked, half-curious. "It wouldn't happen to be that you like Lucy, and you're infuriated that I've taken her?"

Gray barked out a bitter laugh. "Yeah, that's right on spot, and I'm surprised a reptile can catch that."

That caught Natsu off guard, filling him with a strange feeling that he'd never had before.

"And now, Natsu Dragneel, is when you die."

Natsu suddenly was mad. Not his usual pathetic show of rage but anger so fiery, so large, so thick that his face was as smooth as silk. _Nothing_ was going his way. After being imprisoned for a crime he did not commit, he had his friend kidnapped, had his ass handed to him twice, was mouthed off to by a copycat Spirit and an insolent little human girl...the injustice and incredulity finally caught up to him in a shower of realization.

They thought he was the bad guy.

They thought he was the villain.

They thought he was just like every other rogue dragon who'd eat and rip apart any human without a second thought.

So he'd be just that.


	6. Chapter 6

I wasn't going to post this, but today is my birthday, and I'm feelin' jazzed up enough to drop an early update.

**Author's Note - Drop a review if you want Natsu and Lucy to hook up, or a special intervention by our favorite pervert Gray.**

* * *

_Boom!_

The aftershock sent Lucy flying into the mud. She rose with a groan, looking to the sky. Curlicue plumes of grey smoke were rising into the clouds. A second later a long, red-scaled neck curled up from the treetops, a golden eye looking down at something in the clearing. Lucy frowned. Something was different about him. The first time she saw him, he seemed pretty benevolent, innocent to the point of naivety. But then all she could feel from him was...nothing. Not like she couldn't read him at all, but that he was so deadpan that she couldn't tell what he was feeling to the slightest degree.

Gemini appeared with a flourish of gold, still in Natsu's form. "Lucy, we need to get out of here _now_," they said urgently.

"I understand but I can't move any faster than this!"

Gemini disappeared and Loke took their place, grabbing Lucy's hand and half-dragging her along. "What's wrong with him?" Lucy asked his back.

"He's mad."

"He's always been mad, Loke."

Loke shook his head in frustration. "No, I mean that he's _really_ mad. Full of unbridled, unadulterated rage."

Lucy's heart was moving as fast as her feet against the leaf-covered ground. "What changed? He was pretty calm earlier..."

"I don't know, but being in a cage for almost two thousand years can really mess with your patience, it seems."

Lucy looked back again. His pupil was a pinprick, so small that from her distance it seemed that the golden shade had completely taken over his eye. He was holding something whitish in his claws. Lucy's heart skipped another beat. "It's Gray!"

"How can you be so sure?" Loke asked, leaping over a tree root and pulling her along with him.

"He's not wearing a shirt, Loke."

"Oh, then that _is_ Gray."

"You're not going to _help_ him?" Lucy gaped, incredulous.

"Gray is a capable Mage," he said flatly.

"But Natsu is a dragon-"

"Lucy, right now I'm only worried about you. You've already wasted away the greater majority of your magic trying to stall him - I had to come here using my magic instead. And besides, you really shouldn't have been mouthing off to something like him. A _dragon_, of all things, you mouth off to a _dragon_. That is not a very pleasant enemy, Princess." He said _princess_ almost mockingly.

Another earthquake shook the ground. Lucy stumbled and fell into Loke's arms. She gazed at the sky and saw Natsu tilt his head back. She threw her hands over her ears but that didn't block the sound in the slightest: a loud, piercing wail, like the joint sound of a pack of wolves finding prey or sharks finding blood. He roared again before a stripe of ice wound around his neck like a collar, causing him to topple on his side and consequently make a third earthquake.

"Why aren't we going back?" Lucy asked as Loke bounded through the trees towards the mountains.

"We can't," Loke said, exasperated. "For one reason, Sting and Rogue are on their way."

"Father-" Lucy broke off as he wheeled a U-turn around a thick tree. She felt like she was going to throw up. "Father never told me why the Hunters have a vendetta against us, and why they never bothered to release Natsu and the others."

"It's a long story," Loke said. "It starts at the end of the Dragon War, when the treaty was made for hybrids and full dragons. The full dragons received blame, as you know, and all gained life sentences, save for the most brutal like Igneel and Metalicana. The hybrids, because they were so like humans, were hard to find, and had partial amnesty: as long as they never made a big splash, something to further sully the kingdom, they'd be fine politically. Down there in the city, majority of people _really_ don't like those guys."

"But Sting and Rogue? I heard they're dragons, but that they're also hybrids."

Loke thought for a minute. "Their case is harder to explain, because it's tied more to the kingdom than anything-"

"Wait," Lucy interrupted. "You said one reason. There are two?"

Loke shook his head slowly. "It's the reason why Sting and Rogue left the dragons alone at the castle. Natsu is-"

Another earthquake rolled through, jarring Lucy's teeth. Loke lost his balance and fell in the mud; Lucy fell on top of him. "Oof," she groaned. She looked over and saw Natsu's wide jaw spread open, Gray dangling from his claws. "Gray!" she screamed, running back towards the clearing. Loke latched onto her dress.

"Lucy it's too dangerous!" he pleaded.

"I'm _not_ going to watch him die, Loke," Lucy said sharply. She slipped out a golden Key, fighting back the exhaustion to summon another Spirit. "Open, Gate of the Maiden! Virgo!"

The pink-haired maiden popped out of the ground. "Is there something you need, Princess?" she asked.

"Make a _big_ hole!" Lucy commanded, pointing at Natsu. Virgo saluted her and disappeared into the ground. Lucy wound her way through the trees, ducking under branches and leaping over thorny bushes incredibly spry. She did like Gray, perverted as he was; he was always there for her when she needed him. If he died... At the same time, while Lucy was thinking about Gray, images of Natsu filled her mind for some strange reason.

She came into the clearing just as a teeth-jarring rumble resounded from the ground. The dirt under Natsu's talons cracked and dissolved; he shouted something that sounded like "Crap!" as he fell down, Gray flying from his claws. Lucy stumbled over her feet as she sprinted across the grass, arms extended. She forgot about the serious contrast between her and Gray's weight; he knocked both of them over, but he didn't seem to break anything on the way down.

"That really hurt," Gray grunted, rubbing his neck.

"Speak for yourself," Lucy said below him. Gray mumbled an apology and stood up, offering her a hand getting up.

"Lucy, you okay?" He visually assessed her. "I thought he'd do something like lock you in a tower."

"He's not that cliche," Lucy said. "I don't think he could find a tower anyway, if it was poking him in the eye. Natsu is extremely...stupid."

"I know that. But I'm worried. He's not a normal dragon." Gray scratched his head, anxious. "Lucy, his old man, Igneel, had some serious ties with the wrong people. He's _dangerous_, and we should _get moving_ to somewhere safe."

Lucy opened her mouth to respond when a hand clapped over her face. "It's theft to steal another's property, Fullbuster," Natsu said. He practically crushed Lucy against his body. She gasped slightly; he was scratched up and bruised from the fall, and his body was shaking from unease.

"But she's not _your_ property, Dragneel," Gray replied. Ice crackled on his hands.

"Yes, she is," Natsu said. Lucy could tell he was smiling. "Because, Gray Fullbuster, I love Lucy."


	7. Chapter 7

"Because, Gray Fullbuster, I love Lucy."

Of course, as far as any of their conscious minds knew, Natsu was lying. He knew that an angry opponent was an easy opponent better than anybody, and he also knew very well how to push Fullbuster's buttons. He bared his teeth like a dragon looking for a prey's purchase, the air around them chilling so badly the trees browned and started shedding.

"I love her," Natsu repeated, his eternal grin growing with each word. "I love her enough to steal her from your naked clutches, my favorite little Ice Mage." He grasped her neck with his palm, turning her head up to his face. She was splotchy pink and very warm, almost as warm as himself. Her expression was a slash of indignation and embarrassment. He laughed softly seeing it. It was always fun to see a human get riled up. "And, Sir Fullbuster, I love her enough to do _this_." He puckered his lips, leaning his face down to hers. Her body was shaking like the dead leaves and it obviously wasn't from the cold, since she was producing enough heat to warm him through his jacket. She was unresponsive, seemingly frozen with shock. Her face lightened to snow white.

Then it was bloody red.

Natsu wasn't sure what was scarier: Gray's expression or the ice spike that found its way through his hand. His blood stained Lucy's neck and the chest of her dress. She stared in shocked surprise between him and Gray. Natsu howled, trying to pull the spike free without transforming, because if he had turned into a dragon then it would've been impossible to find it between his nerves and blood vessels. Pain traced through his arm, down his spine and coursed through every free fibre that made up his insignificant human appearance. Black splotches wiggled at the edges of his vision.

"You're going to feel more than that, Dragneel," Gray growled, creating a giant bazooka out of ice. He rested it on his shoulder, aiming it at Natsu. He stared like an animal caught in front of a carriage. "Ice Make: Bazooka!"

Natsu was blasted into the dying trees, tearing them into splinters as he skidded painfully against the ground. The ice dug deeper into his hand and wrist, finally wrenching free when it was tangled in a thick green vine. He hit a boulder headfirst, momentarily disoriented. He came to just as a large icy hammer was tearing through the canopy of leaves to mince him. Natsu rolled out of the way, the heel of his boot skimming the reflective surface. He looked scared, which brought sense back to him. Igneel was never scared, and he should never be scared either.

Though it wasn't as reassuring to know what a big miscalculation he had made. Gray's fury only intensified his barrage, a flurry of quick, slight ice attacks that he couldn't repel with fire without burning the whole forest down. A series of thin lances wound through the trees like skilled birds, aiming straight for his heart. Natsu used a branch to pull himself to his feet, shaking out his bad hand. He noticed, with a perception only reptilian predators could muster, that the bottom lance was moving slightly faster than the others, inching closer to his body than anything. He waited until it was centimeters away and raised his feet, balancing on the wiry ice. He charged forward and spun around, dodging the spears with a precision to be praised. He landed hard on the balls of his feet, watching the lances spear a tree into shreds of bark. He swallowed hard.

"Is that all you got, Fullbuster?" Natsu shouted. "'Cause I'm still running high!"

When there was no response Natsu charged back into the clearing...to find it empty. It reeked of something sweet but that was it. Nothing but grass and trees across. He frowned, wondering how they'd have disappeared so quickly.

_Slam!_

The mini-quake jarred Natsu's teeth. A cage made of ice buckled around him, preventing movements in all directions. He grasped the bars, trying and failing to break them. Gray jumped off of the roof and landed in front of them. "You've done it," he panted. "You've trapped me like the animal you think I am. What next?"

Gray held out a hand. "Ice Make: Sword." An icy, jagged sword manifested on his palm. "We're going to see how long that body of yours can last."

Natsu snorted. "I'll just dragon up, thank you." He tried, but the energy burned beneath his skin, singing his body like lava. He sputtered out, smoke wafting up from his clothes. "What the hell?"

Gray pointed at the roof of the cage. "You can't see from here, but it's interwoven with the Anti-Magic material used in the shackles. You're stuck as a human for...well, until you can't breathe anymore. Which won't be very long."

Natsu snorted again and broke into a coughing fit. The fire backed up into his lungs the painful way. "You humans," he gasped, "do some stupid things for love."

Gray's expression was tight. "How would you know? You dragons are all the same fierce beasts. You don't know the first thing about loving somebody."

Natsu's expression darkened, his claws poking out from his skinny human fingers. "To love is to hurt. To hurt is to love. It's the same and the same, _especially_ for me."

Suddenly the back bars of the cage were pressing against his body. Natsu tried to turn around but couldn't; all of a sudden, the cage was as thick as his body, leaving him no room to move. Gray approached him slowly, blade poised to spear through him. His hand ached from the hole he'd already poked through it. Heat rose in his body like a fountain, causing him to panic internally. If he let too much of his magic build up inside it'd have nowhere to go but _out_, and and it wouldn't be using the safe way either. He was in a serious fix.

And if there was one thing Natsu could do, it was think himself out of a fix. [This has to be AU. It has to be. Natsu can't _think_.]

"Oh, but Gray," Natsu said, his tone causing the Mage to stop with the sword's point at his heart. "Killing me would leave you with a big problem. You know that the kingdom needs me, as a prisoner or a damn honored guest."

"The King doesn't need you," Gray protested.

Natsu couldn't help the surprise that shot across his face. If Gray _knew_, he could have talked his way out of the situation, but he didn't. And he didn't want to share something so personal and devastating with the ice-block head. "Well, Lucy would be sad if I was to die."

"What a load."

"Hey..." Natsu's mind was racing. He pulled something out frantically. "She blushed. She blushed so bad. Does she ever get that nervous around you, Fullbuster?" Gray hesitated. "I didn't think so. As much as I know about girls-" which wasn't a lot, to be completely honest "-they blush when flustered and _sexually aroused_." He only knew that because Wendy would often blush when he mentioned certain things, which he still didn't entirely understand.

The tip of the sword dug into the jacket's fabric. Natsu's heart thundered in his rib-cage as it broke the skin and blood dribbled down his stomach. His body heated up even more and he started sweating. It felt weird, and not because he usually didn't have sweat glands. Pain raced up and down his spine, but it also felt like he was reaching a breakthrough. His skin was slowly turning red and scaly. He forced even more of his magic up as Gray's sword pierced deeper into his chest. He had to change _fast_ or the blade would go right through his human body.

The cage started cracking when it was overflowing with magic. Natsu felt like a wall had been torn down. He raised his foot and reared back with it, obliterating the bars. He grinned at Gray. "Man, you won't _believe_ how fired up I am right now, Fullbuster."

Natsu blazed, his body lighting up in a funnel of swirling flames. He stepped backwards and charged forward, head lowered. Gray, momentarily stunned by the intensity of the flames, didn't have enough time to move. "Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!" He slammed into Gray's gut, propelling him through the trees like a torpedo. Natsu skidded to a stop, flames dying off. He lurched into the air, his puny human exterior shredding to make way for his massive dragon form. He rubbed his head wearily; if he was being forced out of human form then he was _seriously_ out of magic. His fault for going overboard, but at the same time Gray's fault for getting him so riled up.

He glanced down and saw the finger of charred trees Gray left in his wake. It would've been easy to catch him and eat him up, but Natsu had bigger fish to fry. He started to follow Lucy's scent but stopped, his ears pricked up. He dropped to the ground and crouched as low as his legs would allow. Something was wiggling under a mound of dirt. He prodded it slightly with his nose and a mucky blue head poked out. "Who're you?" Natsu asked.

"I don't know," he said. He crawled from the dirt and Natsu blanched. He looked like a cat, smelled like a cat, but at the same time, not like a cat. He had sky blue fur, a white belly and fuzzy wings keeping him aloft. "I don't have a name."

"Hmm..." Natsu wasn't very fond of little animals, but that one was strangely compelling, and not just because he was a tiny cat unafraid of a behemoth. "You need somewhere to stay?"

The cat huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "I don't need help," he scoffed.

"Are you sure?" Natsu pricked his ears forward. He could hear the cat's stomach like a pack of hungry wolves. The cat groaned, his serious expression defecting to a sadder one.

"I can't find any fish," he complained.

"Hey, I'll help you out, little buddy. Just perk up."

He beamed, balling up his little fists. "You will?"

Natsu shrugged, a gesture lost in his massive size. "Yeah, I guess. Hop on. I have to go lookin' for someone anyway."

The cat didn't miss a beat crawling up his nose to the base of his head. Natsu laughed quietly, spreading his wings. "You're pretty happy now. Hey, you'll be Happy from now on, 'kay?"

"Aye sir!"

Natsu kicked himself internally as he took off through the forest. Somehow, he was a major weirdo magnet.

* * *

Sorry to burst those NaLu bubbles so badly! I'm looking at reviews, and you guys that reviewed had the assumption Natsu meant what he said. Well, yes-and-no. Like I said, he hates humans, but he does have an odd fixation on Lucy. It's not romantic as of now, but my only comment is keep your eyes peeled for Chapter 9, because that's the chapter where things between Lucy and Natsu get hot and bothered. (Literally.)

P.S. Both Natsu and Gray will fall in love with Lucy, but I'm still watching reviews for a final couple, and right now it's NaLu heavy! GrayLu fans, get in gear already!


	8. Chapter 8

** AsDarknessSpreads** Not necessarily. Firstly, even if Gray's introverted, it's still hanging around in the anime that he likes Lucy, and anyway I'm usually doing NaLu, and my stories tend to gravitate towards Natsu, so as a writer I'm challenging myself with attempting Gray as a main. And I do mean they'll fight for Lucy, as you saw in Chapter 7.

* * *

Lucy really thought she was going to die.

She was running, some unknown force propelling her feet forward even though she'd left Gray alone with the crazy beast, even though every fiber of her being was screaming for her to remain there. Then she heard a loud crash that could only have been the kingdom's forces finally catching up, and the next thing she knew she was staring at Natsu's massive body falling from the sky right where she was. Even if she could remove the fear paralyzing her legs she doubted she would've escaped his range. Her arms burned from slashing her Keys in the air; she was really out of magic. She didn't think Loke or Gemini had much left either, coming to her aid.

Suddenly Natsu flipped over, the gust from his wings throwing the hem of her dress in her face. She hurriedly smoothed it down as Natsu leveled himself out, staring at her with his large golden eyes. "The welcomin' committee ain't so welcomin'," he said in his growling voice. He reached down before Lucy could say anything and he snatched her up in his thick claws, righting himself to a standing position. He planted his talons in the dirt, uprooting several trees in the process. From her height she could see the white-jacket Mages winding through the woods, chasing after the huge dragon.

"Common sense dictates you turn minutely human," Lucy said to him.

"I prefer a dragon, since you're less likely to get away." Natsu beamed, though Lucy could see traces of exhaustion in his body language. "Anyway, I'm out of magic."

"Where's Gray?" Lucy demanded.

"Dunno. Somewhere underground possibly - I hit him pretty hard. But if I were you, Princess, I'd be worried about my skin."

Lucy held a bronze Key behind her back, waving it in the air. He _had_ to come - he promised to always come when she was in danger. "Why's that?"

"Firstly, while they're shooting at me, you're in my hand, which makes you a target. And otherwise, the crossfire would blow you to pieces on the ground." Natsu, reading the look on her face, continued, "Of course, I can't have you dying on me, but I can't fight with you in my hand."

She felt the Key grow warm in her hand. "So?"

Natsu looked genuinely sorry. "I have to resort to sordid measures." Lucy didn't have time to respond. He spread his jaws and shoved her roughly in his mouth, snapping his mouth shut.

"Hieek!" Lucy shrieked, landing on his tongue. It was warm and wet and rough, like a dog's but hundreds of times bigger. It was also forked at the end like a snake. She lurched to her feet, banging his teeth futilely. "Let me _out_ you volatile creature!" Lucy wasn't as prissy and supercilious as mundane princesses - far from it - but the last thing on her mind was being covered in dragon spit and being inches away from his throat. It would only take one bump and she would be reptile fodder.

"Don't do that," he scolded, the bass tones of his voice amplified. She almost fell back on his tongue. "My teeth are already sore, and those little tingles don't make it better. And look, do you really want to be caught in _this_ crossfire?"

He opened his mouth, not wide enough for her to squeeze through but enough for her vision. She gasped, stumbling from surprise. Magic of all kinds - fire, ice, lightning, air, earth, card, paper, Requip etc. - was flying every which way. Trees were wrenched from the ground and dirt and rocks were dissolved as instantly as water in the sunlight. Natsu was jerking all over, avoiding most attacks and getting pretty banged up, but not offering any offense himself. "Why don't you fight back?" Lucy asked before she could stop herself. Suddenly his mouth seemed ten degrees hotter.

"Don't..." He swallowed, making his muscles tense up. "Don't wanna burn you."

Lucy almost grew as hot as him. It made sense - she was in his mouth, which was where he breathed fire from. But why would someone as abrasive as himself care so much about her?

_I love Lucy._

His confession thumped in her ears like bells, tolling her heart faster and faster. She willed herself to calm down. Why am I getting so excited? she thought, cupping her face in her hands. He said he doesn't like me. He was lying about loving me, he had to be. Natsu is... She tried to come up with something apt enough, but the image of him shirtless was burning up all of her other coherent thoughts.

"What are you doing in there?" Natsu asked. "You're stomping all over my tongue."

"Lucy?" Heart still racing, Lucy pulled out Loke's Key. It was pulsing with heat and glowing with a slight aura. "Lucy, are you okay?"

"Loke!" Lucy gripped the Key in both hands. "I'm-inside-his-_mouth_!"

There were several seconds of silence - most likely Loke having a heart attack. "_What?_"

"He's not eating me," Lucy said quickly, "but I can't get out either. The kingdom soldiers are blasting magic all over, destroying the forest."

"Aw, Lucy. I can't turn around without you getting in moral peril." [Princess Peach sure got sexy.]

"It's _this guy's_ fault!" Lucy hissed.

"I'm right here," Natsu said. Lucy could hear the smile in his voice. "And...I...a..."

There was a gut-wrenching shift in gravity as they went from going up to going down. Natsu's mouth was wide open and she, caught in free fall, started rising up. She latched onto his upper lip, slipping her fingers in the serrated parts between scales to climb up. She noticed that the dark red of his body was streaked with blue, orange, green-tinted trenches, poisonous-purple splotches and a lot of more wounds. She found the thick curve of his lower eyelid and rose parallel to it. His pupil was staring up, extremely dilated; he was conscious, but not aware.

"Natsu!" Lucy shouted. His pupil flicked to the side before shifting towards Lucy. It shrunk to a finger-thick slit.

"...Lu...cy?"

She grabbed his eyelid with one hand, trying to get him to focus. "Natsu, look at me: we are _falling_!"

His head lolled to the side. Magic was still flying at them, the hard exterior of his scales nearly torn away. If they did blast away his scales then it would be like a snail without a shell. The both of them would surely die. Lucy looked at his wings, ragged white blankets with red spines like arms. The magic bounced off them easily, like rubber. He could fly if she could get him to wake up. She tried to remember something he said earlier. "Redfox called you a loser!"

He looked around again before staring at her. His nose bobbed, causing her to roll to the base of his nose. "Redfox said what?" he demanded.

"Called you a no-good lizard invertebrate," Lucy said. "Said you couldn't take a bunch of wimpy humans."

He roared, shaking every bone in Lucy's body. "I _SO_ CAN!" he bellowed. Lucy smiled to herself; he was stupidly naive, but it was kind of cute in a way, like teasing a small child. Lucy tripped as he pulled a one-eighty, tumbling down the length of his tongue and getting her abdomen caught between his teeth. She held onto his incisors tightly as he dove down, wings tight against his body to increase his speed. Her stomach jumped to her throat.

"Natsu!" Lucy shrieked. "Slow down!"

His reaction caught her by surprise. He threw out his wings like a parachute, jerking them several miles higher into the air. A handful of magic attacks missed because of their haphazard movement, a pair of wayward ice streaks catching his left foot. "Natsu?"

Natsu shook his head from side to side before tossing it in the air, throwing Lucy up high. She shrieked in terror as he cupped his hands to his mouth, his eyes locked on the mass of rolling white and colors below him. "FIRE DRAGON'S _ROAR_!" Flames erupted from his mouth in tornado formation, sweeping across the forest with great hands of destruction. Trees were reduced to cinders; dirt was uprooted in massive waves of brown lava-esque substances. The Mages were forced to retreat, turning their backs on the dragon behind them. Natsu flapped his wings to slow his descent, digging his feet into the ground. Lucy was still falling, the ground swirling up to her dizzily. She started to mumble a prayer before she spotted a blue dot shooting through the air.

"Max Speed!"

Something latched onto her shoulder straps, keeping her aloft. She looked up into the face of a fuzzy blue cat - or not, because cats couldn't talk, nor did they have wings. "Who are you?" she asked.

"Good one, Happy!" Natsu said, his jovial grin plastered on his face once more.

"Aye sir!" Happy saluted. Lucy wanted to ask where they were going but a dreadful feeling settled over her like a blanket. She turned and saw Natsu falter, dropping on all fours. He looked dazed; the air seemed to glitter like a diamond's facets.

"Sleep Magic," she murmured. [Who recognizes this magic?] The world rocked like the ocean. She tried to hang on, but the magic dragged her under.


End file.
